


Loyalty of the Crew

by Jay_with_Splice



Category: Saints Row
Genre: Contains cursing, Killing, angry aliens, massive beatdowns, whores
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 19:04:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3083921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jay_with_Splice/pseuds/Jay_with_Splice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look into the Boss' work helping out the members of his crew, hoping to earn their loyalty until the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nytefall

**Author's Note:**

> Matt Miller's Loyalty Mission.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt Miller's Loyalty Mission
> 
> aka: Tending to the Nerd

Kinzie’s fingers were working diligently at the keyboard in front of her; it was all the Boss could hear, echoing in his ears and making his head thrum with the beginnings of a headache. Sure, Kinzie was amazing with all this high-tech junk, and she was even better at battling the simulation and overriding it slowly, but sometimes the Boss wondered if she ever really relaxed. 

When it came down to the surviving members of his crew, she seemed to be the only one who worked nonstop. Pierce read magazines in the lounge and occasionally played pool with Keith. Asha would exercise with the work-out equipment that was available on the bottom floor, normally at the same time when Johnny practiced throwing knives at a dart board hanging on the nearest wall. Shaundi, somehow, would often help Kinzie with her work. But sometimes, the Boss just figured she'd be looking into Zin Entertainment on those screens. Ben worked day and night on the sequel to his book, and Matt could sometimes be found playing on a handheld device or watching Nyteblade. 

Speaking of Matt, the hacker had recently talked to him, explaining how the man needed his help with something he had been working on. It annoyed the Boss to know that the kid wouldn't give him anymore information than that, and he felt left in the dark about it all. It was the same lost feeling he got whenever he couldn't understand what Kinzie was talking about. 

His yellowish eyes scanned the room, watching Kinzie stand and walk confidently back towards her usual spot with her laptop tucked underneath her arm. How she managed to find that beanbag chair was impressive. With her gone now, the Boss found himself alone in the Simulation Room. 

This was his chance. 

His tattooed fingers went to his wrist, pressing into the buttons on a small, metallic bracelet there. It was something Kinzie had designed. It was sort of like a phone, but with less apps, not as fun, but with a more futuristic design. A green, holographic screen popped up, displaying all the choices the Boss could choose from. In the upper left was the Map of his simulation. Opposite of it was his Powers menu. In between the two were the Missions he currently had to do. The others...? Well...the only ones he used too much was his Music Menu. That, and his Contacts list. Made it easier to stay in contact with his crew when inside the Simulation and outside as well. 

Still, the Boss had remembered that he had, in fact, promised the hacker that he’d go along and help the kid with whatever he had planned, despite not knowing what he was getting himself into. Jumping into his Contacts at the bottom of his holographic screen, he brought up Miller’s data and clicked his fingers into the 'call button'. It rung for about several seconds before the kid’s tired voice popped up with a question. “Matt. Load up that thing you wanted to show me, kay? I’ll meet’cha in there. Don’t forget to mark the location this time.” 

"Really?!" The Boss heard Miller's excited cry, and he had to withheld his small laugh of amusement as he heaved himself up to his feet. He beelined for the chair, stepping up onto the platform and settling comfortably as the restraints calmly folded over him. "Y-yes!! Of course!!" Matt sounded just so damn happy now. "I-I'll see you soon!!" The Boss gave an affirmation, letting his eyes drift shut as his mind went blank. 

When he opened his eyes again, the Boss stood within the simulation. The towering, yet flickering buildings were a better sight than the emptiness of space in his mind. The simulated version of Steelport damn near resembled the real version; nearly everything was the same and it gave the Boss a feeling of nostalgia. It left him with a cold chill running down his spine. The Earth was gone and he was left with this phony version. There was no way to get it back. His fault. Hands ran through his trimmed, brunette hair in mild agitation; the Boss' eyes flickered when he felt his mind buzz and tingle. Matt’s voice was like a gnat in the back of his mind. 

"I have a matter that could use your expertise!" Miller's voice exclaimed in a near excited tone. The Boss wanted to rub his temples already. It was funny watching and listening to the kid get so damn excited over what he had made. But still, he was a little 

too excited.  


"What kind of expertise?" The Boss asked in a tired tone, fixing up his fine silk shirt. It was tucked neatly beneath a chocolate brown vest and black coat. Something he normally wore back in Steelport before it blew up. Even had matching black pants and comfortable shoes too! 

"I've devised a training simulation wherein a highly trained vigilante has requested our assistance in clearing the city of a long-standing menace!" Matt seemed elated that the Boss had chosen to complete this, and the Boss could just barely hear the bounce in the hacker's tone. The whole things sounded...strangely familiar. 

"That sounds pretty vague, Matt-" 

"I promise you that it's the finest simulation I've ever crafted!" Matt was quick to interrupt and the Boss wanted to punch the kid for interrupting him. Not too hard. He’d punched him before and immediately felt bad afterward. "Meet me at the Three Count!" Matt piped in. Silence. The Boss could only hear his own thoughts now. A deep, hefty breath was released through his lips and, crouching low to the ground, the Boss took off into the air, soaring through the the rooftops as he jumped and glided his way to the old casino he'd taken over years before. Along the way, the Boss couldn't stop himself from flinging fire from his fingertips at a few unlucky Zin guarding some points. Sure, it got them angry and on his tail. But luckily, it could be fixed so easily with catching, and destroying, a Golden CID unit. Finally landing in front of the steps to the casino, the Boss rolled his shoulders and walked up to the doors, ignoring the people he scared when he landed. 

Pushing open the doors to the casino, the Boss nearly jerked backwards in shock when Matt Miller was there to greet him, standing all but in his face. A smile covered his blue lips, and the Boss took him by the shoulder to guide him out of his personal space. The kid didn’t mind it so much. Too happy right now."So Matt...what are we-" 

"The world's greatest vigilante needs our help in drawing out his arch nemesis-" He had begun his monologue, and the Boss finally put two and two together. 

"Is this Nyteblade?" The Boss asked bluntly, his pierced brow raising slowly and effectively cutting off Miller's speech. Matt had seemed a little too excited about his work, and the only time the Boss had ever seen him look excited was when he spoke of Nyteblade. The hacker looked shocked about being interrupted so quickly, but the Boss continued to follow after him as Matt led him to the main lounge. Slot machines lined the walls and walkways, and the Boss took in the sight. It's been too long. "Well...you are a Nyteblade fanboy. Wouldn't be shocked." 

"P-please!" Matt stuttered in an alarmed tone. "I'm not one of those forum stalking hacks that spit out poorly constructed, badly edited wish fulfillment brimming with canon-breaking-" The Boss let himself blank out after that, content with watching the hacker flush red in embarrassment as he defended himself. Kinda cute. A chuckle, and the Boss withdrew his two gold-plated .45 Fletcher Heavy pistols. The two pistols were reloaded and a familiar snarling filled his ears. He hadn't even noticed that Matt had finished and his simulation had begun. "H-here they come!" 

Zombies. It had to be zombies. The Boss raised the guns and opened fired on the charging creatures. Bodies dropped like stones, splattering the green carpets red. Blood poured from the other’s noses and lips; their eyes were dead and lifeless and their arms were outstretched to grab the two Saints. The Boss swiftly kicked a zombie back, shooting it through the head before it could even think of getting up from the floor. 

"These are zombies, Matt!" 

"Uh...you need to be prepared for anything?" The hacker put in quietly, backing up towards the Boss. His back pressed up close to the Boss’ own back, keeping it safe from any that dare try to sneak up on him. More shots were fired. More heavy thuds against the floor, bullets through their heads. It was a simple and quite easy way to murder something. 

"How long have you been working on this simulation?" The Boss finally asked amidst the rotten smell and nasty corpses. Matt glanced back at him and gave a wary smile, happy that the Boss was interested, but nervous of the outcome. 

"I...uh...wrote the original short story between Seasons 2 and 3, when it seemed Nyteblade may be retiring so he set about finding the one person who could take his place." 

"Oh Matt...sweet, little Matty..." The Boss shook his head and Matt flushed with something akin to anger and embarrassment. 

"Nyteblade has a rich cosmology merely hinted at in the television series! As with many classic genre shows, the universe belongs to as much as the fans as the creators!" His pistol raised, Matt shot down a few zombies of his own. For a nerd, he had quite the steady hand. The Boss was impressed. 

"I ain't judging..."

"You're not?" A curious glance to him, and a crooked grin marred the Boss' face in response. 

"No. I am. But I really don't want to have this conversation right now." The Boss disregarded the pout that surfaced on Matt's face, and soon enough, the zombies began to dribble away to nothing but corpses on the green floor. Stepping over them, the Boss paused when he heard a familiar voice. A voice he hasn’t heard since the day Zinyak attacked the White House. The voice of the man he's wanted to punch repeatedly until blood spurted from his perfect nose. Josh Birk...or currently, Nyteblade. 

"Good work you two...Especially you, Matt..." Nyteblade's voice was thick over the mic, and the Boss fought not to wince at it. Josh Birk was always far too dramatic when he acted. It usually put off from the true performance. Especially as Nyteblade. He’s heard Matt’s television. Speaking of Matt, the Boss heard him say something, but Nyteblade continued as if he hadn’t heard him, "The bad news is the Cardinal is not in the Three Count as we originally thought." The Boss couldn't help but let out an annoyed sigh. 

"So where is he?" He found himself asking aloud and his tone made Matt frown, if only the slightest. Nyteblade, on the other hand, didn't seem to acknowledge his less than enthusiastic tone. Well, at least he was good at keeping in-character. 

"Meet me outside the casino. I am on my way." When the simulated line went dead, the Boss nearly jumped out of his skin at the hacker's loud exclamation. It was amazing to see just how quickly Matt sprinted towards the entrance to the casino, completely forgetting there was a second member of his team. Another deep breath, and the Boss jogged after the nerdy hacker. Around the corner, the Boss paused when he saw the doors get kicked open and a, mildly glitching, version of Nyteblade came flipping and cartwheeling in. The Boss had to take a step back, but kept his face blank. 

"Hello Matt. It's good to see you again." Nyteblade addressed Matt, before turning his gaze on the Boss. "And you must be the protege I've heard so much about." A slight nod and a roll of his eyes was the answer the Boss offered. Nyteblade took it. "The Cardinal is on the move, but I have good intelligence regarding his final destination." The Boss' brow rose. Nyteblade was using large words; words he couldn't ever picture Birk using. "I'll lead you to him. Stay close, but not too much. We don't want to give my nemesis too easy a target." Nyteblade gestured to the duo, before dashing out through the front doors again. 

Stepping out through the front doors, the Boss let himself grin devilishly. If there was one thing the Boss loved best about whatever Matt had told him about Nyteblade, it had to be the cars. Nyteblade climbed aboard his motorcycle, watching the duo and waiting for them to take their seats in Nyteblade's car. Dashing down the steps, and leaving Matt in his dust, the Boss slid across the hood and leapt through the open window into the driver's seat. "Hurry up, Matty!" He called to the hacker. A little grin, and Matt climbed into the passenger's seat. 

Nyteblade took off, driving down the street and leaving the Boss pressing deep into the gas pedal. The vehicle jerked sharply, nearly flying out of the parking space after the horribly moving Bloody Cannoness motorcycle. "Dumb asshole..." The Boss cursed quietly through his teeth. "It's like he's trying to crash into everything..." He heard Matt continue to grumble things beneath his own breath and the vehicle settled into an uncomfortable atmosphere. A sigh from Matt. 

"So, what do you think?" A quiet question drew the Boss' gaze off the road and towards the bumbling hacker sitting in the passenger's seat. "You have to be having some sort of fun?" 

"I do?" A brow raised higher than the other, and Matt appeared to frown and worry as he always did. Give him something to be happy about. 

"At least a little bit?" There came a soft, sort of worried tone in Matt's voice, and this time the Boss offered a crooked grin. 

"Killing zombies is never not fun, Matt." A hand was removed from the steering wheel, reaching over to wildly ruffle Matt's dark hair. Matt let out a noise of complaint and all but smacked the Boss' rough hands away. Their conversation continued; the duo followed behind Nyteblade like an obedient dog, chatting about the kid's favorite show. Matt's gaze shifted to the window, a grin stretching across his pale little face. As if on cue, a group of four Bootleggers shot out from the alleyways and damn near rammed into the vehicle that the Boss was driving. Thankfully, Nyteblade managed to swerve out of the way before he too was crashed into. The Boss snarled like a rabid animal, and Matt flinched. He barely registered Nyteblade's call to action. 

The Boss jumped from the car before Nyteblade could get off his motorcycle, whipping out his Heavy Pistols once again and aiming at those who dared try to dent this car. "Attacked en route to the main villain, eh? Nicely played. Good escalation of conflict." Matt let out a tiny blubber of thanks, and the Boss took it as an excuse to keep going, "So I'm not really up to date on Nyteblade fiction." At those simple words, Matt spouted off like a fire hydrant. Each simulated member of the Cyprian Order was dealt with as Matt spoke, his face practically glowing as he spoke of vampires and the Cyprian Order. Nyteblade had climbed back aboard the motorcycle when the members were all dead, and the Boss didn’t mind having to lead Matt back to their own car. 

The topic of the Cyprian Order changed to love interests with a simple question and the Boss had to keep himself from laughing at just how excited Matt grew with every passing detail. It sort of made the man want to watch the show, just to see if it was as good as Matt made it sound. The drive grew pleasent. The Boss and Matt both were feeling better. Felt nice to spend some time with the kid. Felt nice to see him all happy and smiling. But all that happiness faded when Matt noticed their surroundings. Nyteblade had stopped just outside of a large gothic church. 

"Uh...why are we here?" Matt seemed confused, and the Boss knew something was wrong immediately. "Excuse me! Nyteblade! I thought we had to lure out the Cardinal first!" Nyteblade slid off the motorcycle near mechanically, moving up the steps to the Church. Matt followed, and the Boss slammed his car door shut, following Matt. He kept close; Miller was apart of his crew and he didn't trust how this was going. 

"I've enjoyed your story well enough." Zinyak's voice echoed throughout the simulation, and the Boss tensed like an alarmed animal. Oh God. Oh God! Matt!! "But I thought your ending could use a little work." He was the only one who grew alarmed. Matt? He was furious. 

"What are you doing to my story!?" Matt had snapped towards the sky where the projection of Zinyak's voice was loudest. His hands curled into fists, tightening to the point where his knuckles turned white. The Boss snapped at Matt to step away from Nyteblade, but Matt lashed out at him next. "I will not! I won't have some effete alien dictator stomping all over my expanded universe fiction!" Matt went up the steps after Nyteblade, but the man turned to face him; his face held a look resembling betrayal. Cold. Pale. Simulated and beginning to glitch with the changed code. 

"Matt Miller! I thought you were my ally!" Nyteblade's tone was still even, and Matt defended himself. Tried to reason with Nyteblade’s corrupted code. "Now...I find you are actually a pawn of the Cardinal!!" The Boss substituted his pistols in favor of his Semi Automatic shotgun, fighting the wince at the loud, over-dramatic tone Nyteblade yelled. He jumped into action when Nyteblade whipped out his own pistol, aiming at Matt and ready to end the poor little hacker's life. 

"See? Isn't this much better?" Zinyak chuckled darkly, and the Boss, despite Matt's cries of shock, began to fire at Nyteblade. Members of the Cyprian Order began to show up, rolling out of their red and white Bootleggers. They shot at the Boss, trying to keep his mind off Nyteblade long enough for him to kill poor Matt. The Boss kept true, however, ignoring the way Nyteblade spouted off nonsense and the way Matt brought up his pistol to kill off the Cyprian Order. This allowed the Boss to focus on the crazy man. 

His shotgun got work done. It blasted and tore parts away from the simulated man’s clothes. It made red blend in further to the man’s clothes. Nyteblade tried to run, tried to hop away with those powers of his, but there was no use. Nyteblade fell to one final shell from his gun and the Boss stood over him with a grim frown. Matt stepped up beside him, both of them ignoring Zinyak's disappointment as Matt's shoulders slumped. As Zinyak's voice ended, Matt looked to the Boss, almost in tears by the looks of it. 

"Can we just get out here? I can't stand the way this turned out..." The Boss frowned himself, glancing towards the church with a sullen look. The Boss couldn’t let things end this way. Not when Matt had been so happy about their little bonding session. He decided to channel his inner Benjamin, and the Boss glanced back to Matt. 

"We're not done yet." He growled out, and Matt looked at him with the most befuddled look on his face. When he didn't speak, the president kept speaking, "Not until you get your powers." Matt's brow rose in confusion. 

"Powers?" He spoke weakly. Realization dawned on his face next. "Powers?! How would I....! You mean from Nyteblade?" The broken look molded into a weak smile, and the Boss took another deep breath. 

"The fight against the creatures of the night and the fellows that turned on him must continue." The Boss clenched his free hand into a fist, putting a determined and vengeful look on his own face. "Don't let Franklin Nyte die in vain." Matt's weak smile morphed into a wide grin; the smile stretched ear to ear, and the Boss suddenly covered his eyes from the bright, illuminating flash that surrounded Matt. His clothing changed; a long purple cape hung from his neck and old, yet techno styled armor covered Matt's frame. Truly a super hero now. "And Matt. If this makes any difference..." 

"Yes?" Matt turned to face the Boss, his eyes damn near sparkling with enthusiasm and excitement. 

"As the sole living leader of planet Earth, this is probably within my right: I hereby assign you all rights, titles, licenses, and possible merchandise, to the Nyteblade property." The noise that came from Matt's lips sounded inhuman, and the male seemed frozen in place from the very short speech the Boss spoke."But on one condition..." 

"Of course! Anything!" 

"Never stop." 


	2. Girl's Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaundi's Loyalty Mission
> 
> Aka: Two girls, one high boss.

There was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage behind Shaundi's words as she spoke her plans of ending Veteran Child's life. After being freed from her simulated Hell and killing Veteran Child repeatedly, by use of the Disintegration gun, she had found out that the drug addicted DJ had infiltrated the Boss' simulation. Now, that wasn't a good thing. The Boss didn't want the druggy going after his crew. Especially now that he had Johnny back.

Landing on the roof of the Thunder Pump gas station, the Boss grinned devilishly down at the female standing there waiting for him. Shaundi's eyes raised to meet his yellow orbs, his grinning face not at all helping her sour mood. Swinging down, the Boss landed on the sidewalk beside the woman, leaning close and raising his brow at her. "So, where do we begin with the drugged DJ?" A cautious tilt of his head, curious as to see and hear what he plan entailed.

"Veteran Child is getting ready to give a DJ concert in the park. " Shaundi moved towards the Eiswolf she had parked there, tapping the hood with a manicured nail. "The last thing I want is him setting up shop and coming after me again. Which is why- HEY!" Shaundi let out a loud noise of anger when an arm fwrapped around her shoulder and covered her mouth with a hand.

"Chill, this'll take a sec." Fun Shaundi told her older self with a smile. Shaundi didn't seem too pleased, judging from the narrow of her eyes. "Which is why we need to score something to boost us up for killing that douchebag." Shaundi yanked Fun Shaundi's hand off her mouth and gave the Boss a look that made a shiver race up his spine. He hated that look. "There's deals goin' on all around this city. We crash in, wipe out any resistance, and party with whatever they've got." The Boss opened his mouth to object, but she intervened again. "Trust me. This alien shit should give us an edge!"

A hand scrubbed down his face in an annoyed way, and he glanced towards Shaundi, whom still look enraged at the very idea. Although, if Fun Shaundi was right, Veteran Child wouldn’t be able to stand a chance against them. Okay. The Boss made up his mind. "Listen. We're gonna go do the drug thing with Shaundi."

"Wait! Why are we helping this burnout?!" Shaundi snapped as the Boss nudged her to the side and slid into the front seat. He would have used his powers, but he didn't want to leave his girls behind, running to catch up to him. Shaundi took the seat beside him while the younger Shaundi sat in the back. She looked quite content there. "Veteran Child is out there and you're gonna help her score drugs!?"

"Hey, I'm just trying to give us an edge." Fun Shaundi piped up from the backseat as the Boss set the vehicle to drive. A sigh; he knew this will be a long night. The two girls will do nothing but argue and he accepted the fact that he was never going to get peace and quiet when he was with the duo. Oh well. At least he still got to bond with them, to a degree.

"Both of you, cut it out!" The Boss finally snapped, startling the two girls out of their argument. "Veteran Child isn't going anywhere and helping out young Shaundi first isn't going to hurt. If she says it could help us, then I feel like we should try it." Pulling out into the street and speeding through the cars and different lanes, the Boss felt the beginnings of his headache begin to fade away. That was nice. At least for a bit.

"If you even think of calling me 'Old Shaundi' I am going to shoot you." Shaundi growled in a dark tone and the Boss listened quietly as the car faded into silence once again. Better. Better. Smiling some, the Boss leaned forward for the car radio, turning it on and up. Music, some form of Dubsteb, blared out of the speakers. But it helped stir up, and eventually rid them all of the tension.

Fun Shaundi’s fingers were tapping along the Boss' shoulder. When he looked back at her, she jabbed her finger to a parking lot with a bunch of old raggedy-looking vehicles. The Eiswolf was parked and Shaundi leaned out of the car to shoot at the people standing near the nasty cars. The druggies that were taken by surprise fell to the ground, while the remaining took shelter. The Boss rolled out of the front seat, ready to lay some people to waste.

"The dealer ducked around the corner!" Fun Shaundi yelled, climbing out of the car and dashing after the man who tried to make his escape. She jumped the fence in the back, leaving the Boss and Shaundi behind to end the lives of the rest of the dealers. The people in green reminded the Boss vaguely of the Sons of Samhedi back in Stilwater.Good thing he was killing them. Once the last man was dealt with, the Boss and Shaundi ran the way the younger woman went, jumping the fence and sliding around the corner.

Fun Shaundi had her foot planted firmly into the dealer's back, grinning softly at the two when they arrived. "Kill the dealer and let's go." She said, and the Boss easily put a bullet in the back of the man's head. The pack of drugs was removed from his jacket pocket and the Boss held them out to the younger woman. The drugs were taken, then were prepared in a broken light bulb. Just like with the Loa Dust.

The light burning smell of drugs flooded the Boss' senses when the bulb was offered to him. He took it from Fun Shaundi's fingers, taking in a deep, long inhale of the smoke. It wasn't strong, not in the very least and it left a bad taste in the back of his throat. Compared to the Loa Dust back in Stilwater, this alien drug was pathetic. And judging by the looks on the Shaundi's faces, they felt the same way.

"This doesn't look like the right stuff..." Fun Shaundi said in a disappointed fashion. The remainder of the bag was dropped on the ground and a pout crossed her plump lips. Her arms even went and crossed at the thought of it all. "Damn it! This dealer was sellin' a low grade knockoff!"

"Or maybe, it just doesn't do anything. Like I said earlier!" Shaundi was quick to growl out through her perfectly white teeth.Both President and Fun Shaundi stared at her, them to each other. Fun Shaundi frowned herself, looking offended.

"Hey! I'm the expert here! Trust me...this wasn't a shit we were after!" Both Shaundi's glared towards the Boss, who had begun to drown out their arguing once again. When he felt eyes on him, he glanced at the duo curiously. One of them looked hopeful. The other was angry.

"Listen...we'll give this plan of yours one more shot, and then we'll help Shaundi..." He paused. "The...uh...other Shaundi..." He jabbed a finger at the angry woman, turning his back on them as he jogged back to the car. The Boss cut out their arguing; it was the best he could do because the headache urges he was getting earlier were coming back strongly. He slid in the front seat, barely catching the hurt tone of fun Shaundi's voice.

It was easy to avoid oncoming traffic as he cut into the other lane. It was a thing he'd done plenty of times and the car settled into an unnatural silence. The next dealing, hopefully for the right drug, was close to the Three Count Casino, and the place was filled with angry drug addicts and dealers alike. The dealers aimed their guns immediately when they spotted the Boss' car. As usual, he was out of it first, tossing fire at the men and women that dared try to stop him.

The Boss jumped the fence, only to plant his fist into the first dealer's face when he was over. He beat them until they no longer moved, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the younger Shaundi run towards a single man, who seemed to be cowering by a large set of stairs. Shaundi was with her; the attackers had been dealt with and he hoped to god that these were the legit drugs the fun Shaundi spoke about.

"Do we really have to do this?" Shaundi asked in an exasperated tone.

"Girl, we've been shot, lit on fire, hit by cars, and now kidnapped by aliens!" Fun Shaundi was quick to cut in, her foot kicking the dealer harshly in his side, hard enough to make him drop the drugs he was trying to shelter. The Boss put a bullet in his spine. "One of these days, we're not gonna get back up. And when that day comes, if we haven't gotten high off of alien narcotics, we have not lived a life we can be proud of."

"Fine, I'll pass this shit." Shaundi growled in a resignated tone. The drug was prepared and passed around in a lightbulb and the Boss knew this was the right drug. It burned his throat in a pleasant way and he had to cough a few time to clear the smoke from his lungs.

"Maybe it takes a little bit to kick in?" Younger Shaundi seemed confused, and she touched the drug package with a curious touch.

"I knew this was a bust!" Older Shaundi growled. "Come on! You promised to go after Veteran Child now!" Shaundi stamped her foot impatiently, and the Boss backed away from the corpse and his girls. He stepped out into the middle of the street. He popped his fingers, feeling smoke curl around in the pit of his stomach. The smoke began to spread; his veins began to feel as though they were on fire.

"Whoa!" The Boss yelled, lightning crackling behind his eyes. He strained his eyes to see; Shaundi and Younger Shaundi both seemed to be feeling the same pulse through their own veins. "My powers...my powers feel limitless!!" Fire swirled around his fingertips and the world rocked and swayed and appeared to glitch about in his drugged haze. "What the hell was that?!"

"I feel so...powerful!" Shaundi laughed, and the sound made the Boss grin. It had been far too long since he had heard that sound. Power surged around the girls' hands, and blasts were fired out into a crowd of massively glitching individuals.

"Man, when was the last time you smoked up, hun?" The Boss laughed loudly, using his fire to torch people alive. He felt positively powerful, far more powerful than he usually felt whenever he used his powers. The rocking behind his eyes overpowered his urge to listen to his girls; they were talking excitedly, seeming to get along. It was great to see. "When the last time I smoked up?" A curious question to himself. Despite all the rocking, and the crackling in his ears, the Boss heard the girls.

"I'll bet that I'm faster than you." Younger Shaundi cooed to her counterpart, and the Boss paused. In an instant, both girls took off down the street, leaving the Boss standing in their dust. He stood there, confused, before he shook his head fiercely and dashed after them to keep up. They were racing now, bouncing all over the god damn city in order to decide who indeed was faster than the other. The Boss fought to keep up; his girls were quick on their feet and giving him no chance to catch his breath.

"Guys! What about Veteran Child?!" With a mighty leap, he found them on top of a building, facing off against each other with power flickering from their fingertips. They were back to arguing, although it was more playful than full of rage. The Boss backed up immediately when they threw large balls of power and death at each other, and the only thing they succeeded in was hurting each other rather than the man they really should be hurting. They climbed back to their feet with groans of pain.

"Will you guys cut it out? We've still got Veteran Child to find!" He snapped and he was rewarded with dual apologies. Stepping to the side, he glared out over the park, seeing a large DJ booth stepped up. With his drugged mind, he could see Veteran Child providing the jams, and people dressed as furries were rocking out to his beats. What the fuck? Another leap, and the Boss landed right in the center of the action. The furries backed away from him, but Veteran Child seemed pleased he was here.

"Looks like we have some special guests here that are trying to crash our fun!" His words seemed to rile up the furries and they faced the Boss and the Shaundi's with their fists, ready to beat the three to pieces. The Boss wasn't going to stand for that. He ripped his alien rifle out and began to fire at each furry, angry at the very thought that furries were attracted to Veteran Child's concert.

"When have furries ever liked Veteran Child?!" He snapped loudly over each laser bullet shot from his rifle. The girls exchanged glances; Younger Shaundi seemed to grin wider with each passing second.

"These are just a bunch of college kids, Boss..." She snorted and younger Shaundi laughed.

"Total lightweight."

"Damnit." He growled and, with an even angrier attitude, he shot every person full of lead. He gave them no time to retaliate and as the last one fell, he turned towards the DJ, whom was still safely behind that damn force field. "Looks as though your crowd has fallen flat. Guess you should've hired some real bodyguards." He stepped towards the shield, laying his hand it. "Now get your ass out of there so I can beat you until you can't move." Veteran Child laughed, and the sound only pissed him off more.

"Oh don't worry. The crowd was just to soften you up." Veteran Child snapped his fingers, and a small army of Veteran Child's fell from the sky, making the Boss curse loudly and turn his guns on them. Shaundi backed away slowly, and another chuckle came from the DJ. "I always told you Shaundi. There was always so much more of me to love." This was beginning to grow creepy to the Boss.

"Quit confusing love and loathe, pervert!" Younger Shaundi snapped at the man, before her eyes focused on the Boss and her older self. "We gotta find a way through that shield."

"Shaundi! Do you think you can figure it out? I'll deal with these assholes!" Shaundi ran for the shield generators, much to the confusion of the younger. A brief exclamation of 'I grew better with tech stuff' left younger Shaundi pleased. His fire proved helpful; the Boss flung fire at every ugly, drugged man he saw, and the more he killed, the doubles seemed to grow tougher. "These guys are getting stronger and stronger!"

"Yeah! But it seems the stronger the doubles become, the weaker the shield gets. Kill 'em all!" Shaundi snapped at him, and the Boss returned to the murder. He switched from fire to ice, freezing the Dj's and knocking the small shields off them. There were only three left now, and by the time he finished with them, the overall shield surrounding the main Veteran Child collapsed.

"No! What have you done?!" Veteran Child pressed his face into the panels and both Shaundi's stood there, glowering at the man with hatred. The Boss approached, wrapping ringed fingers through the DJ's dreads and yanking his head up.

"Guess it's just you now, Veteran Child." He hissed, his free hand balling up into a fist and ready to punch the man, just as he promised. His arm wound back and came forward to bash the man across his ugly jaw. "The fuck!?" The Boss jerked back when the DJ suddenly vanished, and when he turned around, there were two of them, standing behind each Shaundi with a gun aimed at their head.

"Who lives and who dies?" He hissed. It was his ace in the hole, hoping to make the Boss choose who got to live here. The girls, his girls weren't going to have any of that though.

"Fuck that!" Shaundi spat, elbowing Veteran Child hard in the jaw. Her counterpart, on the other hand, kicked out her own assailant's leg, and both ripped the pistol from Veteran Child's hands. The gun raised, they both blasted holes into the opposite Child, killing the man behind each other. The Boss never felt more proud. "That was awesome." Shaundi beamed.

"Told'ja we were the same." The younger cooed sweetly. The Boss snorted and glanced in between the two girls.

"So...we're cool?"

"Yeah..." Shaundi grinned. "We're cool." The younger chuckled.

"Totally cool."


	3. King Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benjamin King's Loyalty Mission
> 
> Aka: Amateur Night

"Hey playa. It seems Tanya's found her way into the simulation and is building up her empire." The Boss paused at Benjamin King's voice. His eyes turned skyward towards the ceiling of the store he stood within; his hand set a piece of clothing back on the rack. Well, that acquired information ruined his mood to shop for any further clothing.

"How the hell is she doin' that?" The Boss snapped at the ceiling, where the projection of King's voice was strongest.

"She's corrupting people with some sort of virus that's turning them all into her sex trade workers. Matt's figured out how to stop it, and once that's done we need to end Tanya for good." Malice was held in King's voice as he spoke ill of the simulated version of Tanya. She may not have been the real deal, but her death was necessary or there would be a whole army of whores running rampant in the simulation.

"I'm in." The Boss replied without any hesitation in his voice. Stepping out of the Leather and Lace, the Boss readjusted his new Leather Jacket. It stretched across his skin with rich colors of violet and gold and a pair of Aviator sunglasses were pulled over his yellow eyes. The leather biker pants matched his jacket color-wise, and the Boss stepped out into the street. An old, ratty Bootlegger stopped before it collided with him, and the horn was honked by an annoyed driver.

His grin grew crooked, his pierced lip glinted in the light of the head-beams, and the Boss' foot lashed out to kick the vehicle away. With the help of his powers, the Bootlegger and its driver were sent flying through the air; the vehicle impacted the side of the building and he could hear the alarmed shriek of the driver. A police siren sounded somewhere behind him and the Boss figured now was the best time to make himself scarce. Hands planting into the ground, the dark-haired Boss lurched upwards into the air, fingers digging into the side of the nearest building. Using momentum, he used his legs to propel himself upwards to the roof.

Landing on the very top of the building, the Boss brought up his Hub and checked his Map. Scanning the area in which Ben wanted to meet him, he noticed that the location was indeed outside of Kinzie's old hideout. He briefly wondered if he should just leave the simulation and then reenter it at a closer door. In his mind, he decided to go along with his idea. The closest door to him was out in the middle of the road a few streets down, so the Boss headed in that direction, ignoring the police cars that wanted to be rid of him. He stepped through the door without any thought.

He woke up on the ship, staring at Shaundi's face as the woman passed through. She gave him a wave as she walked, and he let his eyes close once again to reenter the simulation. This time, he was in the old Decker territory. The warehouse was much closer now and the police were not on his tail this time. Their minds had been reset and they couldn't remember having even chased him. The glide to the warehouse didn't take long and when he arrived, he found Benjamin King standing beside an old, grey helicopter.

"So what's goin' on with Tanya, Ben?" The Boss asked his Chief of Staff as he approached. Benjamin pushed off the copter and moved closer to the President.

"Tanya's been bringin' Vice Kings into the simulation and building up her empire, but now she's got a new way of recruiting. She's infected some people with a virus that turns them into her very own sex worker slaves. If that virus spreads-"

"Then we've got a fuckin' army of sex slaves. Jesus Christ." The Boss shook his head and moved towards the helicopter, intent on finding and ending Tanya and her virus before it did indeed spread. Benjamin climbed into the front seat, hitting a few buttons and pulling the copter up into the sky. The Boss leaned back into the soft cushions of the copter and he glanced out the door.

"Matt's found out a way of killin' the virus completely." Good old Matty. "So I'm gonna take you to all the ones infected, have you absorb that virus, and then I'll take you to her club, Technically Legal and we'll give Tanya a taste of her own medicine." A firm nod and the helicopter pulled out over the tops of the buildings, and the Boss could see three figures not too far off. Two of them were Vice Kings, and the third one he presumed was someone whom had been infected with Tanya's whore virus.

The copter landed, and the Boss climbed out, eyeing the trio as the woman danced provocatively in front of them. His Pump Shotgun was removed and reloaded. A firm look was on his face as he stepped off the side of the building. The two men were startled, reaching for their weapons but they were blown back by a single bullet to the chest. Their bodies crumpled against the wall, blood oozing from their chests. The virus-infected person jumped back and whipped out her own pistol.

"Sorry to break up this party!" He laughed. The Boss blasted the woman full of holes; the weapon appeared to not really do any damage to her. She stumbled back, her green bikini was stained red with blood that wasn't there.

"Matt said you're not actually a simulation, so you should be able to absorb the virus and not be afflicted." Benjamin King's voice swirled in his head as the woman stumbled back, gripping her head as she fought to regain balance. Her pistol had fallen uselessly to the ground. Power began to swirl across his fingertips as he approached the woman, only to jab his hand through her belly.

An eruption of power nearly sent the Boss backwards, but he held through. "I don't like the sound of that 'should'." He spat through the pain beginning to trickle through his bones. A bright flash of light and his arm was ripped out. The scantily clad woman was nothing more than a feeble old woman now.

"You a'ight? How you feelin'?" Benjamin asked and the Boss gave himself a once-over. A yell of alarm and the Boss' head snapped towards the sky where Benjamin hovered in the copter.

"I'm fine...but what the hell am I wearing?!" His leather jacket had been replaced with a ugly green crop top that showed off a large portion of his hairy chest.

"Oh sorry..." Matt's voice replaced Benjamin's. "Forgot to mention. It's just a temporary change; nothing permanent. Though, the absorption seems to have worked perfectly. No sign of the virus left in that person." The Boss jumped back on top of the building when a vehicle belonging to the Vice Kings pulled sharply into the same alley.

"The next infected person's on the move!" Benjamin snapped loudly over Miller and the Boss cursed loudly and jumped away. Climbing up to a higher building, another curse was torn from his lips at a vehicle driving swiftly through the streets. It was white in color, weaving through and around other cars and driving through red-lights and stop signs.

"Stop the vehicle anyway you can! We can't let the infection spread!" Matt had cried next and the Boss removed his Rocket Launcher. Reloading it, he jumped higher into the air and glided down to a closer location. Next, he let ice swirl around his hand and launched a large ball at the car, freezing the people inside and the gears. The Boss landed on the street in front of the car, heaving the rocket launcher onto his shoulder and aiming it at the vehicle. The trigger was pulled and with a sense of satisfaction, he watched the rocket fly towards the vehicle and impact.

Fire flew in all directions, and the Boss let out a sharp bark of laughter. Bodies landed heavily on the cement, blood oozing from their blown apart wounds. The virus-infected person, whom was dressed in a pink gorilla costume, was the only survivor. They turned to face him, his wounded torso healing with the effects of the virus. "Shit." The Boss whipped out his baseball bat, dashing towards the man. "Tanya turned this man into a furry." He pointed out as he began to bash the costumed man repeatedly with his American flag colored bat.

"Tanya's always had her own tastes." Benjamin put in quietly. When the furry couldn't move anymore, the Boss kept the man pinned as he shoved his hand through his chest and all but ripped the virus from his body. The same bright light flashed, and the Boss felt a weight on his head. Removing the item, he glared hard at the cowboy hat that had made a home on his head. A deep sigh, and he placed the item back over his groomed hair, ignoring the confused, yet no longer infected man as he shakily got to his feet.

"The last one's over by the church." A nod, and the Boss chased after the helicopter as it flew off in the general direction. The Boss evaded around vehicles in the road, only sliding to a halt when he was faced with a large group of Vice Kings with a single Gimp sitting patiently in between them all. The Vice Kings turned on him and withdrew their weapons. Keeping his baseball bat out, he braced himself for the bullets as he beat every Vice King to the ground. The metal bat collided with the final Vice King's head, a fine spray of blood splashing from his broken nose and blood sprinkling from his lips.

A bullet pierced his back, and the Boss whirled around and bashed the Gimp hard in the stomach. The scantily-clad man stumbled back, nearly dropping the pistol he held, but the Boss gave him no time to recover as he continued his assault. The Gimp stood no chance, and the virus suffered the same fate. He could hear Benjamin's awkward cough and Matt's yelp after the light died down. "Are you fucking kidding me? What was the point of shopping if I ended up dressed like this!?" His leather biker pants had been replaced with a purple g-string, and his heavy biker boots replaced with ugly shoes, and leg warmers. "Shoot me now."

"Time to head to Technically Legal." Benjamin put in, trying to distract the Boss from what he was now adorned in. The Boss groaned loudly, but followed along after the helicopter, still grumbling his distaste aloud. He landed on the roof first, glaring hotly at the elevator. Benjamin landed the copter upon the roof and stepped out calmly, stretching out the crooks in his back and neck. Without waiting for Benjamin to say anything, the Commander in Chief jumped off the roof and entered in through the back doors.

Angrily, he stomped into the main room, but the flashing lights and dubstep playing over the speakers seemed to calm the rage in the man. The provocative looks a few women and men sent him certainly raised his self esteem and a raunchy grin seemed to pass over his face. His stomping became a strut, a silent need to impress these holographic people within his simulation. His eyes fell on a sign he passed by. Amateur Night. "Hold on Ben. Meet me by the back stage door. There's something I need to do."

"Didja find Tanya?" Benjamin asked as he came through the front doors, stepping up beside the man guarding the stage door.

"No. But I found out it's Amateur Night!" The Boss laughed, jogging up to the man beside Benjamin. The Boss glanced to Benjamin's face as he reached out to accept the board from the bouncer. The board fit perfectly in his grasp and Benjamin stared at the President with his mouth hanging open in pure shock.

"Are you serious?" Benjamin snapped at him, glaring at the Boss as he signed his name with a wide grin overtaking his lips. "We don't have time for this!" The man crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the Boss and he merely returned the glare with that same cheesy ass grin.

"Ben...there is no time BUT this!" The Boss patted the man on the back, handing the board back to the Bouncer, who took it with his own grin. The brief set of eyes looking him over gave the Boss even higher self esteem and, before Benjamin could even stop him, he jogged through the stage door. He could hear Benjamin cursing and the Boss stepped out onto stage, in between two beautiful women standing on different stages on either side of him. Eyes turned to him, obviously distracted and their mouths hung open. "Showtime."

He dropped his bat to the floor beside him and turned his back to the crowd. He could hear their appreciated cheering echoing in his ears and the beat perfectly thrummed with the tap of his shoe. His hand balled into a fist, rocking gently with the music and his head leaned back, eyes up on the ceiling. "Hey Boss!" Benjamin's voice came through the music and he bared his teeth lightly.

"Not now, King. I'm in the zone!" The music hit the peak and the beat dropped. The Boss spun around, hips swaying provocatively, hands and arms rocking with the beat. The cheering fueled him, and the music charged through his body like lightning. His feet glided over the ground as he spun, sliding to his knees and tilting his head back, baring the nape of his neck to the crowd. His hips continued to rock, his hands moving as though beckoning the crowd to come and take a touch.

He rocked himself forward on all fours, his hands pressing into the stage and his head now swinging. The Boss' eyes were closed. He wanted to turn his gaze to Benjamin, if only to see the look on his face. It would have been a million dollar shot. The Boss jumped back up onto his feet, spinning in a swift circle, moving around and around and smacking the air near his hind end. The crowd seemed thirsty for the touch, and when he jumped off that stage as he finished, the Boss was amazed to see them forcing themselves to not latch onto him. "I didn't see Tanya in the crowd. Shame...her loss."

"That's because while you were 'in the zone', she took one look at you and high-tailed it towards the roof." Benjamin had stepped up beside him and the Boss looked over his face for any emotion. There was only rage; no shock, no awe. Damn it.

"Shit. C'mon Ben!" The Boss moved for the elevator, and Benjamin was not too far behind, managing to keep up with his scantily-clad Boss. By the time they reached the roof, Tanya was making a break for the side, a quite obvious shield covering her body. The Boss really hated those shields. Easy to take care of, but quite annoying to deal with.

"Ya got nowhere to run, Tanya!" Benjamin snapped loudly at her fleeing form, and she paused briefly to stare back over them with a smirk, her lips stained in red lipstick and one eyebrow raised higher than its twin.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetie!" She cooed, before the duo watched the woman leap away. She had her own powers and she was getting away! The Boss tore on after her before Benjamin could even snap at him. He would not let this woman escape. Not after all she's done. Building to building they leapt; the Boss managed to keep up with her much to Tanya's dismay.

"Matt!" The Boss finally called out, hoping for an answer from the hacker. "You there?" His meek, little voice responded, sounding disheartened and slightly traumatized. The sound brought a grin to the Boss' face.

"God...I wish I wasn't, but yes. I'm here..."

"I was great, right? I mean, yeah I know I was but I wanna hear it from you too." The Boss waited, excited for the kid's horror. He heard Matt give an awkward cough and a soft clearing of his throat, and his grin grew impossibly wider.

"Right now I'm just trying to figure out whether or not there was some sort of residual effects from absorbing the virus..." He seemed nearly at a loss for words, and that sent a surge of pride through the Boss, his hand shooting out towards Tanya to grab her, only to barely miss as she darted out of the way. "I...I don't know what to call it..."

"It's called raw talent, Matt. And that wasn't the virus. That was something I was born to do." His weak response nearly made the Boss break out into abrupt laughter, but he held himself off when he saw Tanya land on a building top and remove an alien rifle.

"You think you can stop me? When I'm through with you, this whole city will be mine!" Her hands glowed red, a haunting color that the Boss recognized from the Warden's and other simulations that worked for Zinyak. The Boss let out a curse, dodging out of the way before the ball of red energy hit him. The Boss' hands grabbed at the side of the building, and the President hauled himself up over the edge.

"Not gonna happen, Tanya! I'm fulfilling two dreams tonight!" Her mouth fell open slightly and her head tilted to the side in confusion; he could see it when he landed on the roof with her and raised his assualt rifle. "Unleashing the dance from within me..." He paused for dramatic effect. "And watching you die." Her eyebrows shot up in rage, her lips baring into a snarl.

"Is that what you call that convulsion on stage?" Tanya nearly roared the words at the Boss. A red hot flurry of rage flashed from within him and the Boss glared heatedly at the woman.

"DON'T YOU DARE INSULT MY TALENT!" A thick gob of ice was hurled at the woman, freezing her to the roof as he released a hailstorm of bullets at her. Her shield disabled, she stepped back with each gruesome blast from his gun. As quick as it was gone, the shield was back up and Tanya was fleeing from him again. The Boss snorted and lunged after her, leaping off the building and gliding after the angry woman. She seemed desperate to escape and Benjamin's voice calling out to him left him with a sense of duty. "You got it Ben!"

When she landed on the roof to another building, the Boss followed her, only to once again dodge around a blast of energy. "I'm gonna kill you! And then I'm gonna find that coward, King, and make him suffer!" She spat venom at the Boss and he grit his teeth together, beginning to grow tired of her games.

"Hey! He's not the one who keeps running!" The Boss snapped loudly in response, bringing his gun forward to bash her hard across the face. The hit was so forceful, and he was damn sure it would never be repeated, that the shield surrounding her busted from the hit, shattering like glass. The force of her shield breaking sent the woman stumbling backwards. He took the opportunity, bashing her fiercely a few more times, before taking a firm grasp of her, spinning around three times to generate speed.

Her alarmed cry went unnoticed as he released her and let the woman go sailing off in the direction of the park. The sight of her flailing body made the Boss nearly choke on his laughter, but he calmed down enough to speak. "King! She's in the park! I'll meet you there!" Benjamin's confirmation set the Boss into motion, and he dived off the roof to get to the park after King. If case the woman was alive, he didn't want Benjamin being there with her alone.

He landed in front of the woman's body. Tanya was leaning up against the fountain, her chin against her chest. She looked dead. Crouching in front of her, he let yellow eyes rave over her form. Behind him, he could hear Benjamin land the helicopter and run over to them. "Oh shit I think I killed her..." He grumbled to himself. The Boss moved to stand, but a powerful blast of red energy caused him to go flying backwards. He hit the ground, groaning slightly.

"K-Killed me?" Her voice was weak and the Boss sat up, only to see Benjamin stalking towards the woman with a pistol in his grip. "I don't think so..." She spat the words, her head raising to glare at the man as he stopped in front of her. King's face remained passive; from where he was, the Boss saw no emotion. The gun was raised, aimed at the woman's head.

"No Tanya." Benjamin spat right back at her. "You should have never fucked with me or my crew!" His eyes flashed with rage, and the Boss wearily got to his feet; the bare skin of his calves scraped along the ground as he stood. Tanya, although staring death in the face, grinned.

"Please...you don't have the balls." Benjamin had turned away from her, but as those words left Tanya's lips, he stopped. He stood there in a silence, before he whipped around, pulling the trigger to the pistol. Her brains were blown out through the back of her head, and Benjamin lowered the pistol, his face twisted in a way that left the Boss feeling a bit uneasy.

"You never could die with dignity..." He spat at the body, lowering the gun completely. The gun was dropped in front of Tanya's body and King stepped away, moving towards the Boss with a more cheerful expression. There was the King he knew.

"Matt. She dead this time?" The Boss asked aloud, looking to the sky for Matt's confirmation. The two waited patiently for the hacker's reply. Tensions began to rise again. He was taking too long to reply.

"Yep!" His cheery, British voice finally responded. This prompted the duo to breathe a sigh of utmost relief. "There's no signs of her or her virus left in the simulation." The sound of Matt's typing relaxed and the two smiled at each other, pleased to know it was finally over for Tanya. For good.

"Good..." Benjamin breathed. "One less thing to worry about."


	4. Pump up the Volume

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pierce's Loyalty Mission
> 
> Aka: Too much shit

The Boss sat high up on one of numerous pillars in Steelport, overlooking the glowing city with a narrowed gaze. Luckily, it was one of the only pillars on this building not spewing smoke or fire; not like either of those would have much of an effect on him. The Boss was contemplating his team and how their personalities seemed to change ever-so-slightly. Matt Miller had been a lot less tense recently, the Shaundi's were finally getting along and Benjamin King seemed more at ease, but there was something going on within the simulation. There seemed to be a menace lurking in with the common simulation; it was a foreboding atmosphere. The President didn't like it.

Thankfully, Pierce had been working with Matt in attempts of figuring out who exactly was behind this. It had taken awhile, and the Boss was a very impatient man. And now, Pierce seemed to know who exactly was corrupting the simulation. Although, it wasn't like the man was going to flat out tell him who it was. He wasn't an open book like some members of his team. Pierce had his own way of doing things. "Hey Boss!" Pierce's voice swirled about his head like an echo. "I got the tip on Zinyak's guy who was starting shit within the simulation." About damn time. "Let's get together and take 'em out. What'dya say?"

"Works for me." The Boss stood, picking up the Thumpgun he had been using earlier and leaping off into the air. The Boss was swift in his movements, landing upon the ground and zipping across the streets. His powers certainly made him faster; his sprinting so quick that a whirlwind of air shoved vehicles and pedestrians out of his way. They were thrown to the side carelessly and, penting up his jump ability, vast swirls of light began to circulate around him. When his feet left the ground, the Boss shot up into the air, his swiftness adding to his ability to easily pass over the large body of water in between two islands of Steelport.

He landed in the middle of the street; the asphalt ground cracked beneath his feet. Crossing pedestrians stopped short in shock, not fully understanding where he had just dropped from. Few stepped back, others continued on their way. Straightening out his suit jacket, the Boss grinned at the suit-clad male leaning against a parked Blade on the opposite side of the street. A pure white smile was ever dormant on Pierce's face. The Boss calmly stepped towards the sidewalk, approaching his Luietanent.

"There ya are, Boss." Pierce smiled as the President came to a stop beside his Communication's Director. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his pants and the grin on his face was ever wide. "Anyways...here's the plan." Pierce stepped towards the Blade; it was a smooth, black color with a glossy sheen. It almost resembled the color of charcoal. A smile was stuck on his face but it quickly morphed into a look of complete shock. Younger Shaundi was sitting on the hood of the car he had commandeered. "What the hell-?"

"Alright you two~" She chimed with a saucy wink. It was obvious she only came to annoy Pierce. "Go in and- Hey!" The dreadlocked woman let out a cry of shock when Pierce stomped closer and took her by the shoulders, only to yank her off the dark-colored Blade. She didn't seem all that pleased with the rude man-handling, judging by her full-lipped pout and her steady glare. Pierce did, however, steady her on her feet when the younger woman wobbled a bit in her heels.

"Damn it girl! My mission, my rules!" Pierce glared hard at Shaundi, not moving an inch until the younger woman crossed her arms and left with her head raised proudly. Pierce shook his head, grumbling something quietly beneath his breath. A sigh, and "There's a shipment of trucks being unloaded at the docks. That's what we hit first to start drawing out Zinyak's guy." Pierce told the President enough information, but not enough to have him understand what the hell was ruining his simulation. The Boss laughed as he rested his ringed hand on Pierce's shoulder. The touch seemed to calm him down.

"I'll run. You drive." The Boss let his hand fall from Pierce's shoulder, only to reach up and correct his tie. The Boss moved across the alley, standing beside the car, idly adjusting his suit jacket with nimble fingers. Better look good before all the wind currents messed it all up again. A look was sent back at Pierce, and the Boss was confused to see the familiar look on his face. Pierce's lips were pulled into a small frown. "Let's see who gets there first?" Pierce's face changed to a look practically screaming denial.

"No. Get in. I'm driving-"

"Not a chance!" The Boss retaliated before Pierce could even finish his sentence. He hastily pulled open the front door of the Blade, sliding into the sweet leather of the driver's seat and glaring at Pierce with fierce golden eyes. Finally, the man groaned and moved towards the passenger's side. "We can go together, but I'm driving!" Like hell was the Boss going to sit idle in the passenger's seat while Pierce drove him around! Never again.

"Fine." Pierce settled in, glaring ahead through the Blade's tinted-black windshield with an angered look. The look molded into a lazy grin, turning slier and slier by the second. "But I control the radio." The Boss glanced over to Pierce from the corner of his eye. This was going to turn out to be a party. If Pierce was going to break out into song, the Boss knew he would too. It was a curse, but a good one. Pierce leaned forward in his seat, fiddling around with the radio until a familiar beat passed through their ears.

Pierce let himself get into the music, rocking side to side slowly as he listened to Opposites Attract. The Boss knew what was coming, and he was excited for it. "Oh, Pierce Washington on the mic so rap it! Here's a little story and you're sure to like it! Swift and sly, it's time to play, with the President of the USA!" Pierce sang the beginning lyrics and the Boss shook his head with laughter, but joined in,

"Baby, seems we never...ever agree. You like the movies, and I like TV-" The song continued on, the two best friends sang to their heart's content, bobbing and dancing along with the song. There were laughs all around, all cars and pedestrians around them were unable to hear the happiness and excitable tones through the thick windows of the Blade.

The Boss was a quick driver, weaving through and around other cars, and they hadn't even finish the song when they arrived at the docks where Pierce said the shipment of trucks were waiting. Pierce leaned out of the window, holding his gun tight in his grip as he fired at those guarding the massive vehicles. Upon closer inspection, the Boss spotted what exactly they were wearing. "What the hell is the Brotherhood doing here?!" The Boss snarled to Pierce as he dove out of the car and swiftly plucked one of the trucks up off the ground with his telekinesis.

"You really surprised?" Pierce had called over to him, his bullets taking down a few of the Brotherhood goons. "Zinyak's been pullin' out all the old gangs from our past!" A body fell off the metal crate, hitting the ground with a wet, bloody splat. The Boss tossed the monster truck out into the water, watching with a grin as it sunk immediately. The second and third faced the same fate, but the others faced the might of his rocket launcher. It wasn't his fault his telekinesis had a recharge limit and limited use.

"I guess the monster trucks make sense..." The Boss trailed off, before looking towards Pierce with a strange smile; it was a mixture of confusion, anxiousness, and anger."You think Donnie's around?"

"Oh I highly doubt that..." Pierce swiftly shook his head in denial, jogging backwards towards the car when the Boss used the last of his telekinesis to haul the final monster truck up into the air. He launched it out towards the sky; the metal beast flew out over the water. Quick as a wink, the Boss wielded his launcher once more, blowing the truck up mid-flight before it hit the water. "Alright! Let's get going! Back to the car?"

The remaining Brotherhood fired after the pair, but they were ignored as Pierce leaped into the passenger's seat, locking the door. He was already fiddling with the radio again before the Boss could buckle up. His foot hit the pedal and the Blade took the pair away from the docks before the Brotherhood members could stop them. The Boss visibly brightened when Biz Markie's Just A Friend came on over the speakers. "You know me so well."

Pierce leaned close, near dramatically as he cooed the words loudly, and off-key, "Yooooooou! You got what I neeeeeeeeed! And you say he's just a friend! And you say he's just a friend-" The Boss' laughter hit his peak; he was heaving out breaths of laughter as he forced himself to practically scream the lyrics along with Pierce. Passerby's heard their outrageous laughter, sending looks of annoyance to the Blade as they drove by. The Boss was surprised he was even able to stay on the road with how hard he was laughing.

"You! You got what I need!" A strange voice filtered through the radio, causing both men to stop singing immediately and glance to the radio in near alarm. The song grew more harmonious, the words beginning to be drawn out longer as though an opera man had been singing it. Finally, they recognized the voice. There was no mistaking it. It was Zinyak.

"What the fuck?!" The Boss nearly screamed.

"How the hell did he get in the radio?!" Pierce shrieked.

"Zinyak fucked with Biz Markie! I'm going to rip his fucking head off!!" The Boss slammed his foot on the break in the middle of the road, his shoulders hunched with rage trembling through his arms and hands. His eyes were wild with a twitch, nearly resembling a feral animal. Pierce let out a yelp when the Boss' Energy Sword, a weapon given to him by Asha, plunged through the radio and into the engine. Sparks flew, sprinkling the seats, he was pretty sure a fire was started in the process. Pierce climbed from the Blade, but his face showed gladness of the radio's demise.

"Man, I can't wait to kill that bitch!" Pierce cursed at the radio, stepping back and around the Blade to come to a halt beside the President. With the radio adequately destroyed, the Boss stamped out in front of a Nelson, raising his foot and pressing it into the bumper as it came to a halt in front of him. The citizens inside trembled, and the duo wasted no time yanking the bystanders out of the car and throwing them to the floor. Pierce and the Boss jumped inside and drove the rest of the way to the Nuke Plant. This time, the radio remained off.

"So why are we at the nuke plant?" The Boss grumbled, his glare still present on his face as he climbed out of the Nelson and peered around the chainlink fence. He could see more members of the Brotherhood loitering around, patrolling the area with shotguns and rifles, and pistols. There were multiple chests lingering in certain places, the nearest one to them looked just about ripe to pluck open. What was their purpose?

"We're lookin' for some nuclear waste." Pierce commented, reloading his gun and grinning in readiness at the Boss. The Boss stepped around the corner, firing at the first member of the Brotherhood. A cry and the body fell, quickly alerting the others of their arrival.

"What the hell for?" The Boss found himself yelling out as he shot a charging Brotherhood in the head. Their body flew back and hit the ground, falling in a comical fashion on top of another. "Whatever, whatever." He grew bored of having to wait for Pierce to answer, so while his Communications Director watched his back, he ran to every crate in the small area, ripping open the lids to check the contents inside. However, none of them seemed to hold any Nuclear Waste for them to steal. "Nothing! Are you sure it's here?"

"It's gotta be! Maybe it's on the other side of the building! Go check! I'll be fine here!" A firm nod and the Boss took a running leap, finding himself go flying over the buildings. He landed on the back of a Compensator, alerting the four Brotherhood members laying in wait there. They had little to no time to react, for the Boss was quick to raise his gun and shoot each member right in their heads. He grinned when he saw the crate lying behind a Brotherhood jeep and, stepping off the bed of the truck, the Boss ran to it and hauled the lid open. Familiar green muck lurked beneath the lid and the Boss grinned. He was almost tempted to dip his hands into the material to see if he'd mutate. The Boss nearly did, but Pierce had cut in once again.

"Good! Now we gotta follow that truck!"

"...Truck?" The Boss stepped out of the alleyway, jerking back in shock when a Brotherhood's Criminal nearly ran him over. Pedestrians screamed, some rolling out of the way, others were flattened into bloody pancakes beneath the massive tires. That had been close. "Oh...that truck." Taking Pierce's words to heart, the Boss dashed after the Criminal, keeping up easily. It was almost like he had been driving and the Boss was certain Pierce would follow along behind. The force of his sprinting knocked other cars out of the way and it was obvious that the driver to the Criminal was trying desperately to lose him to the crowds of Brotherhood cars trying to stop his pursuit.

"Ain't we gonna sing?" What? Where did that come from? Oh. Pierce was communicating with him through his brain.

"Sing? Pierce, we've already sung two songs. Shouldn't that be enough to sate your singing kink?" The Boss was swift to retaliate to Pierce's complaint. Pierce's blubbered excuse could be easily ignored. "Pierce, my performance is the best part of it. If I can't put my heart into it, I begin to hate the song itself."

"That's...a really good argument..." Pierce admitted quietly, and the Boss took a sharp turn after the Criminal. He could barely see someone leaning out of the passenger's side window; the Boss saw the gun in the woman's grip and, to avoid the bullets, he took a sharp left. With a mighty leap, the Boss was atop a building, leaping across ledges and divets in order to keep up. He could hear the screeching of tires on the asphalt ground, and the Boss had to move quick in order to jump upon the top of the bridges enclosed streets. A crinkle to his brow.

"It...it looks like they're heading towards-"

"The airport! So that's where he's hiding!" Pierce had swiftly interrupted the Boss, much to his Boss' distaste.

"Where who is at?!" The Boss had snapped at Pierce. The man merely laughed it off and demanded that he keep following the Criminal. So he did, tempted to just pick up the car an tote it the rest of the way towards the airport. They were just so slow compared to his overpowered sprint. With this power, the Boss was capable of sprinting on water, running up buildings, and creating a whirlwind with every step he took. He was overpowered and stronger than ever here in the Simulation.

Finally, the Criminal burst through the gate and the Boss nearly tripped over himself when he saw a very familiar Monster Truck driving towards them. "Is...is that-" The Boss slid to a halt, his eyes suddenly narrowing dangerously as thoughts of a bloodied and broken Carlos laying on the ground flowed through his head. He was so young to have died so terribly. "Maero." He spat, already beginning to lunge for the monster truck that turned its own sights on him. "That...that SON OF A BITCH!" Pierce showed up not too long later, but the Boss ignored him as he spoke, fire swirling around his hands like a tornado.

"So the Saints want to play again, huh?!" Maero called out to them, and the Boss wanted to do nothing more than to shove his hand down Maero's throat, and his boot up his ass. "In this simulation, I'm more powerful than ever!"

"Hey Maero!" The Boss retaliated as he threw large balls of fire at the truck. The tires blew out from the heat of the fierce flames. His words seemed to have caught the Brotherhood Leader's attention. The Boss could see his ugly face leering at him, and a cruel grin spread across the President's face. "How's Jessica?" The roar of rage that came from Maero was enjoyable.

Maero jumped from the truck, the sheen of yellow shield circulated around his body as red hot energy took over his hands. The Boss evaded around the blasts that Maero shot at him, and with a few mighty blasts of his own, the shield around Maero's hide had vanished from the intensity of the flames. Hands balled tight into the front of the ex Boss' shirt, and the President wasted no time in smashing him around. His fists were bloody and he only stopped when the shield came back up. A kick to his chest sent the Boss stumbling away from Maero, and the aftershock of the kick left him wheezing.

"You cannot beat me!" Maero roared, and the Boss snarled right back. He left Maero's goons to Pierce as the Boss conjured up more balls of hellfire. "I'm more powerful than you could ever be!"

"You're just a simulation!" The Boss snapped back, fire dancing from his fingertips as the flames lashed out at Maero's shield, trying to bring it down once again. "Cuz in the real world, you're ten feet underground with your body rotting away in the recesses of space!" A fiery punch was what brought down the shield; it dissolved like sugar in a cup of water. Stumbling backwards, Maero spat viciously at the Boss, but before he could do much, the rage the Boss held for the man was unleashed. Punch after punch rained down on the Brotherhood boss. Pierce had yelled out to him, and only when his Lieutenant pulled him off the man did he realize he was dead.

"Ya got him, Boss..." Pierce told him sternly, and breathing heavily, the Boss was able to calm his beating heart. Rage still sizzled along his heart, but he had calmed down considerably. Pierce released him, and the Boss spat on Maero's body. "Ya see? Doin' things my way worked!" Yellow eyes to Pierce, watching as vast swirls of light flickered around his body. Pierce's clothes changed; they resembled clothing from that one video game he played a lot as a kid. Was it Mortal Kombat? Probably.

"We could'a just came to the airport. Ya could have just told me who it was we were hunting!" The Boss' voice raised in volume, but Pierce raised his hands and made a loud noise to cease the Boss' angry tone.

"My. Way. Works!" He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his brow. But when the Boss looked up at Pierce's bright and hopeful face, he couldn't help but laugh softly and shake his head. slowly.

"Fine, fine. Good job Pierce." His Luietanent practically fluffed up, happiness showing on his face, but it quickly changed to cockiness. It was a look that the Boss didn't trust. A crinkle in his nose, and the Boss was right to have his suspicions.

"You mean 'Boss'."

"Don't push it."


	5. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asha's Loyalty Mission.
> 
> Aka: The Boss is unteachable.

There's an audible slam of the monster truck door as the Boss parks the Bootlegger XL inside a garage he bought, personally, for these massive beauties of his. Of course, within the Simulation, he was able to call vehicles to him whenever and wherever he pleased, but the man would at least like somewhere to store them while he wasn't using them. Not like he would. The Boss could fly, glide, and run to extreme speeds here. These powers of his certainly made traveling around plenty easier. No more running over people on the sidewalks to get where he wanted. 

Although, it was a shame knowing all of his **_REAL_** cars were destroyed.

Sliding out of the garage, the Boss shuts the door tight with a relaxed smile. He ducks down briefly to secure a golden lock, when he hears a voice itching in the back of his mind. And while someone wastrying to contact him, the Boss found it was one he couldn't ever ignore. One that would plague him and judge him for years, even if he had done nothing wrong.

"I need to destress..." Asha's voice was a gnat in his head, buzzing in his ears and making the Boss frown. Even if the MI6 agent was apart of his crew now, he found it hard to actually like her. "I have an idea for something fun." Fun? The Boss wasn’t aware Asha even knew the meaning of the word.

"Fun?" The Boss hissed sarcastically, arching a brow she couldn't see. "What exactly do MI6 agents do for fun?" The Boss took a few steps back from the garage, swiftly hanging a 'Private Property' sign on the garage door. He'd know if someone touched it. He'd know. Asha laughed, the tone of it mocking him with disbelief.

"You don't know? Well....this should be educational." A snort from the Boss, and a roll of his eyes. Asha obvious ly knew him so well.

Aw thanks Asha. ..you _know_ what I love so much. _Learning_." The Boss' sarcasm hung thickly on his lips, and with a mighty leap, he jumped to the roof of the nearest building, pulling up the Map on his Hub. Asha's location wasn't too far from where he was and judging by the little blue dots all along the way, he'd be able to upgrade his powers more, and that was always a great thing. Setting a waypoint, the Boss glanced up and smiled at the first batch of clusters he saw.

And he was off. His feet left one roof and landed on another, and with each collected cluster, the more electricity zapped through him and into his core. The surge of power from these clusters left him feeling positively unstoppable, but the feeling always ended too soon. Just like a bad drug. Or a shitty orgasm. Running down the length of a roof, the Boss sent a strong blast of ice towards a wall, popping three clusters from their confinement. He swiftly gathered them up, only to hear a tapping foot.

Just beneath the building he stood upon, the Boss could plainly see Asha standing beside a sleek black Justice. _Oh yeah. She definitely had a great taste in cars._ The Boss cleared his throat, alerting the woman of his arrival, but he just got a frown on painted lips. He replied with a snarky smile, rolling off the roof and landing on his feet beside the impatient woman. "So...who's the chick?" The Boss finally noticed the woman sitting in the back seat of the Justice, but Asha brushed him off to speak. 

"It's time for you to experience the life of a secret service agent. There's a VIP in town-" Asha tapped the roof of the car with her nails, but the noise didn't seem to catch the woman's attention. "-and it's our responsibility to see that she safely arrives at all three stops on her route." Her arms drew back, coming to stop at her sides, and the Boss' nose wrinkled at how serious she was acting about this whole ordeal. He thought Asha wanted to have fun. Not make herself worry any more than necessary. "Along the way, we will encounter scenarios typical of a VIP escort job."

Asha stepped towards the passenger side of the Justice, and the Boss was pleased he was being allowed to drive. He never liked sitting in the passenger's seat. It felt like the bitch seat of a car. Her arms crossed over her chest and her head rose proudly at him. "So, are you ready to put your life on the line to protect another?" The Boss laughed at her question, tugging open the driver's side door.

"Asha. I'm basically a super hero." He replied haughtily. "I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever the hell you want to throw at me." Asha's grin seemed to grow, and the Boss felt a wave of confusion, and light awkwardness course through him. Asha slipped into her seat, leaning back into the soft leather interior as her door slammed shut.

"You'll find Matt has disabled your special abilities for the duration of this exercise." Her words made the Boss pause. He glanced down at his hands and attempted to conjure up a ball of fire. He found he was unable to. _Whelp. Back to basics then._ The Boss' door slammed shut after him and the key to the Justice was used to turn the car on. "But don't worry." Her smile was sinister. "You'll get them back once the exercise is complete."

His foot pressed down into the gas pedal, and the Boss pulled the Justice out onto the road, effectively cutting off an old man driving a Gunslinger. The Boss made notes to himself to go off and find himself one of those once this mission was over. "So who's the mark?" The Boss questioned, curious. Asha's laugh was delightful and sweet...to an extent.

"You're on the client's time now. You do whatever needs to be done." Oh he loved the sound of that. He really did. The Boss' hands tightened on the steering wheel, and when he looked in the rearview mirror, his eyebrows pinched together. He knew this woman from somewhere. But where? She seemed so familiar, and why was she glaring at him? They pulled to a stop outside a Planet Zin, and the Boss couldn't help himself as the trio climbed out.

"Alright...this is bugging me. I know that woman from somewhere...did I sleep with her?" The Boss followed Asha and the VIP up the steps, allowing his Thumpgun to materialize in his hands. Asha made a face at his inquiry.

"Are you serious? That's Tammy Tolliver!"

"The reporter from GenkiBowl?" The Boss hissed at the MI6 agent. "Jesus, you couldn't find someone more important for us to protect?" His hand rubbed at the back of his neck. He had indeed slept with Tammy once, and never called again. She wanted a relationship, and he wanted to sleep around. The Boss reckoned that was why the simulated version of her was glaring at him. The real Tammy probably wanted his balls hanging from her rearview mirror. Good thing she died when the Earth exploded. 

"Security work is a cereal box! You don't get to pick your prize!" Asha snapped at him as Tammy ran up to the counter, placing finely manicured hands on the smooth top. Her lips moved, speaking silently. The man behind the counter immediately began stashing clothes in a plastic bag. The Boss huffed angrily, standing around in the nearly empty store. Asha cleared her throat to get his attention and gestured to the biker standing in the corner. "Hey. See that guy over there?" A nod. "Tell me: is he a threat?" An angry sigh and a roll of his eyes.

"I don't know-"

"It's your job to know!" Asha interrupted. "You have to decide right now. Take him out and possibly kill an innocent human being or let him go and potentially put your VIP in mortal danger." The biker began to move across the length of the store, moving closer to where Tammy was standing. The Boss looked between the two of them. He's killed enough civilians in his lifetime. What was one more? He raised his gun and shot a laser shotgun shell right into his back, severing his spine and killing him instantly. The man helping Tammy yelped, and Asha took a step back from shock. "Nice job killer! You just killed the nicest man in town!" 

"Again...I don't care." Asha shook her head, angrily following the VIP back towards the Justice. The Boss bet she was thinking he was a lost cause. And boy was she right. The Boss followed along behind them, watching the hypnotic sway of Asha's hips. It was a pretty hard thing to ignore. Asha may be a prude, but she definitely had a good looking body. A chuckle, and the Boss jogged ahead of the two woman, jumping into the front seat once again. 

"Intel reports high threat probability at the next stop, so we should be prepared for anything." Asha informed him with an obvious frown. The Boss continued smiling, uncaring of the life he took. Just Asha's own reaction was enough to brighten his mood. Tammy was still frowning and glaring into the mirror. He was pushing all of Asha's buttons. He had to keep going.

"Right! Absolutely! Potential threats all over the place!" The sarcasm in his voice returned and Asha rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm glad to see you're taking this so seriously." Her hand moved through her hair as he pulled out of the parking spot and onto the bridge. And just like that, they were on their way to the next stop, which seemed to be a Friendly Fire. The GPS pointed to one not so far away from where they were driving now. One of the Boss’ hands drummed along the steering wheel while the other leaned forward to fiddle around with the radio. He smiled upon hearing Haddaway’s ‘What is Love’ come blaring over the speakers. But it quickly morphed into a frown when Asha leaned close to turn it down. He sighed out loud.

“Is MI6 really called upon to escort tv correspondents on shopping trips?” He asked in a somewhat fierce manner. His tone didn’t faze Asha in the least. In fact, she seemed to brighten up a little bit at the small talk.

“Prior to MI6, I babysat over-privileged children of foreign dignitaries on multiple occasions.” She answered with honesty. The small smiled that played on her lips...seemed teasing? That was a strange sight for the Boss. “And after a certain streetgang-”

“Oh?” The boss swiftly interrupted her, only now, he was grinning as well. “Anyone I know?” He chuckled a little darkly, and his foot pressed into the brake, forcing the Justice to slide slowly to a stop. He was grinning widely now, looking across the street at the Friendly Fire. From where he was, it seemed relatively safe. No baddies in sight. He got out of the car, listening to Asha’s instructions. With a nod, the Boss ran for the building, crossing the road and dashing up the side scaffolding to get to the roof.

His sniper drawn, he crouched on the roof and gave a wave to Asha. The woman nodded back and both she and Tammy Tolliver got out from the vehicle and made their way towards the Friendly Fire. They were going so slowly, so the Boss peered through his scope and aimed at a citizen. He pulled the trigger, purposefully missing to watch the large man freak out and run. 

“What are you doing?”

“Pretending to shoot stuff.” The Boss replied with a cocky smile, lowering the gun to laugh at the fleeing man. He ignored Asha’s rude tone as he swiftly aimed at a great-looking man. His hips swayed with each step, his hair was cut short and dyed a vibrant violet. Oh. That was one of his simulated members. Oh well. Still. Asha’s question nearly went over his head, and the Boss leaned back to give a swift look around. “Blue skies and hummingbirds. Come on out.” He spoke too quickly. He could just barely see someone standing on a roof from a distance. “Asha wait!” 

But she and the VIP had already came out of the store, and the Boss felt his heart nearly stop when he saw multiple sniper rifle lasers cover her and Tammy’s bodies. Her cry of shock made the Boss react swiftly. The first shot pierced through the closest man, and he could see Asha and the VIP make a mad dash for cover. The Boss dispatched the Snipers, but more of them came. A sharp curse, and he dove off the roof, safely making a last minute roll to stop any damage to himself. 

The Boss didn’t stop until he was safely in the passenger’s seat. The VIP was ducking in the back, shielding her head with her hands. Bullets impacted the windows, but didn’t shatter them. Bullet-proof. Nice call there Asha. Asha was perched in the driver’s seat; the tires were practically screaming as her foot was driven into the gas pedal. Both Justice and passengers tore out of the parking space, and the snipers were left in the dust. Leaning out of the window, the Boss made sure that anyone who aimed a gun at them were shot down before they could pull the trigger. 

“So! Are we enjoying ourselves?” Asha asked quite suddenly. 

“Not a bad time, actually! But...ah...” The Boss looked into the back. “We do need to get Tammy outta here before she gets killed.” Asha clarifies there’s only one more stop before they were done, and he’s not believing what he’s hearing! If they continued on their merry way, all three of them could get killed in no time! The Boss was jolted back into the car when the Justice slammed through Criminals that were blocking the road. 

“Shit!!” The Boss had never heard Asha curse before, but he could definitely see why. A rocket was flying towards them from a nearby rooftop. The Boss prided himself in just how quickly he grabbed Asha and Tammy before diving out of the Justice. Shards of shrapnel flew everywhere; some lodged themselves into his skin as he protected the two girls from the explosion, and it took a bit for him to get back up on his feet. “You get to cover!” Asha was yelling. “I’ll guard the VIP!” A nod, and the Boss ran towards an armoured truck, whipping out his SMGs and preparing for the eventual onslaught of goons. 

“You’re really goin’ all out with this!!” the Boss snapped as each man dropped dead under the might of his bullets. He could see the poisoned green fog infecting others that drew too close to his dead victims. Off to the side, the Boss could hear Asha yelling for Matt; the hacker wasn’t responding at all. It was worrying. Matt’d better be okay, or there would be Hell to pay. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, a voice broke through the bloodshed. But...it wasn’t Matt.

“Oh is he not answering??” Zinyak’s voice echoed throughout the simulation, and the Boss bristled at the sound of his voice. Changing to his pistols, the Boss was able to take down the attackers with far more ease. Putting bullets in people’s heads was far more efficient. He wanted to put a bullet through Zinyak’s head right now. It’d be too quick for him. The Boss wanted the alien to **suffer**. Zinyak will suffer. “Shame. I must have...accidentally cut him off!”

“Zinyak, you piece of shit-!!”

“Always with the vulgarity!” Zinyak exclaimed, cutting through the Boss’ angry cursing. He sounded offended. **_Good_**. “Anywho! Have some fun with these _minor_ changes!” His voice cut out, and the Boss nearly roared at the sky when he did. He promised he’d rip off that snooty, egotistical asshole’s head off! It will happen! It’d be a damn great ornament on the hood of the ship! Asha growled herself, briefly catching the Boss’ attention.

“Hold on! I’m calling in a rescue vehicle!!” That made the Boss’ dangerous thoughts stall, and he glanced back at her with a growing, praising grin. She caught his look and she almost puffed up defense. Or was that pride? “I wouldn’t put us in harm’s way without some backup protocol you know!” The Boss looked away to shoot down some more of the suited men, hiding the crooked smirk that had grown there. He didn’t get to see her specifically call in the help, but she did assure him they’d be there soon.

The Boss counted at least five minutes when he heard tires screeching around the corner. Looking in the direction of the noise, he could see a large armored car come sliding to a halt a few steps ahead of them. The VIP and Asha were still safely tucked behind him. “Hold tight!” He yelled at the MI6 agent. “I’m gonna go grab the car!” She gave an affirmed nod, and the Boss broke cover to make a mad dash for the car.

Unfortunately, a helicopter had other plans. It pulled up into view above the rooftops, and the Boss managed to stop and back up swiftly before rockets blasted the vehicle apart. “Fucking shit!!! God damn it!!” His pistols deteriorated in his hands, being replaced with his waffle cone colored rocket launcher. _Zinyak thought that was the heavy artillery?? He wished_. A single rocket was all it took, bringing the smoldering, sparking, and ruined remains of the chopper crashing down into the pavement. Civilians and enemies alike were all screaming around him, but the Boss only had enough time to be crafty. He, unfortunately, couldn’t enjoy the smoldering remains as he always did.

Spotting another Justice, he whistled at Asha to get her attention. He pointed at it, and the woman smiled bright at the sight of it. She grabbed at Tammy’s arm, leading her straight towards the vehicle safely. The Boss eagerly took the front seat, and the Justice rocketed out of the parking spot once both girls were safely inside the car. Enemies dived out of their path; others ended up as smears beneath the tires. “So!! All according to plan, eh?!” The Boss snapped at her with a smile and a snippy tone. Asha replied to his with her own.

“What’s life without a few curve balls, you know?!” Once again, the Boss was reminded about the few things he liked about this MI6 agent. The streets emptied out, becoming calm as they drove to the final stop. The _‘drop-off point’_ as Asha had called it earlier on. No more enemies seemed to come from any stupid location or dumb vehicle, so the Boss breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He was able to stop the car in the parking lot, right beside a tantalizingly nice Attriazone, and the Boss climbed out of the Justice to warily look around the area.

“Alright. We’re here. Are we done now??” Asha met his gaze again, keeping her weapon at the ready just in case. It was only just then that the Boss had realized she had been using a classic SMG, with included silencer attachment. Huh. How did he not notice that before? It looked just like the one back when he was rescuing her from-

“As soon as the VIP’s helo arrives, she’s still in our charge until then.” A few seconds ticked by, and both boss and Asha jumped back in shock and confusion when a giant present suddenly dropped from the sky, landing in front of them. From the weight of it, the gift crushed the asphalt, creating deep cracks. Its wrapping paper was bright and colorful, and it hurt the Boss’ eyes just looking at it. Apparently this wasn’t the helo she had mentioned. Soon enough after Asha’s confused answer, the present blew open and a giant familiar cat pranced around and laughed as if nothing in the world was wrong.

“Is that _Genki_?”

The giant pink cat whipped out a rocket launcher from nowhere, and neither Saint was able to do anything as the Justice was blown to smithereens. “He just blew up Tammy!!” The Boss yelled in minor shock and heavy amounts of anger. The cat’s sights focused on him then, and the Boss was forced to retrieve his SMG’s as fast as allowed, firing bullet after bullet into Genki’s pink hide. “What is Zinyak’s fascination with Genki!? Why don’t they just shut up and make a baby already?!”

“Do not put that image in my head!” Asha shot back at him. Genki, on the other hand, was looking a little worse for wear. Each bullet the duo put in him made the red stain on the outer costume turn just a little bit more pronounced. How he could take that many bullets was astonishing, but not so astonishing as a well placed bullet from Asha brought the cat sputtering to one knee to catch his breath.

The Boss raised his gun again, and that was when he felt it. The surge of power beginning to manifest inside the costumed cat. Yellow sparks of energy began to flick off from the pink hide; the Boss was forced to jump back before the resulting blast of power sent him backwards itself. “Fuck! He’s a super Genki now?!” The shield that began trickling out like a leak blocked any incoming bullets from the two Saints and Asha, again, cursed loudly in anger. A few well-dodged blasts of energy later, the Boss got annoyed. “This would be easier if I had my **_POWERS_**!” He shot a look at the MI6 agent, and Asha’s face turned embarrassed quickly.

“All right! I’m here!” Matt’s voice chimed in, as if on cue. 

“Greeeaaat. Give me my powers!” The Boss yelled towards the sky, once again dodging a blast of energy. Genki was getting support now. More costumed freaks were showing up, armed with guns and ready to end their lives. Of course, Matt went ahead and denied him the powers and the Boss was this close to beating the kid up again when he got out of the Simulation. Alas, it didn’t appear as if he had to, for Asha was next to snap at him. Matt sounded like a kicked puppy during his reply, but it wasn’t too much to worry about, for the surge of power spreading to all corners of his veins took up the majority of his brain functions.

The Genki program glitched, trying to catch up with the sudden change in power from the opposing side. “Oh my.” Asha’s voice broke through the rough surges of power, and the Boss’ gaze lingered to the Saint’s new complexion. Asha, to say in the least, looked _real_ nice. Her hair was now a long braid down her back and her clothes held true to a certain country’s origin. The Boss couldn’t quite place it. “This is...this is amazing!” 

“Isn’t it?!” The Boss laughed aloud, each hand burning as fire raced up his arms. “Now...let’s-”

“Let’s kick some Genki ass!” Asha interrupted and the Boss found himself unable to get mad. He said nothing as the MI6 agent darted forward, fists alight with red power; it much resembled the power most of Zinyak’s alien men used, but it looked so much better emitting from his comrades. The Boss chose to let Asha handle Genki. Let her get a taste of this freedom to have fun. The weaker ones went down quickly with well-aimed balls of fire. Being covered in cloth made the furry assholes so much more susceptible to flames. 

“Wooh!” Asha sighed out loud; a blast crashed full-force into Genki’s hide, taking its pink ass down without trouble. The pink hide was dyed an awful red from the onslaught of her attack, and the Boss laughed as the remaining furries fled with their metaphorical tails between their legs. The MI6 agent looked great. She seemed so much calmer than normal, and also so free. “So...learn anything?” Asha’s tone was light and airy, filled nearly to the brim was teasing tones and cheery smiles. The Boss answered it with one of his own.

“Me? Learn anything? Nah!”


End file.
